Equine State Trail
About the State Trail
Authorized in 2023,the Equine State Trail will be a 350-mile equestrian trail that loops through Chatham, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, and Richmond Counties. Equestrian recreation has a deep history in North Carolina, especially in the Sandhills region of the state. The Equine State Trail will provide ample mileage for long distance and multi-hour trail rides, which is critical for equestrians across the state due to the speed of horse’s gait and it will help fill a gap in the North Carolina State Park System.
The horse and rider icon of this state trail reflect the greater equine community – including horses of all breeds, types, or discipline. Equestrian trail riding engages both the horse and rider in an outdoor activity surrounded by nature. All breeds, disciplines, and types of riding such as western or English can participate and enjoy the Equine State Trail.
Trail use is horseback riding and hiking.
The partner organization is the North Carolina Horse Council. The NC Horse Council’s mission is to serve as the voice of the North Carolina Equine Community through education, communication, and representation.
Trail Use
Partner Organization
The North Carolina Horse Council exists to represent and further the common interest of the entire equine industry of North Carolina. The North Carolina Horse Council is composed of volunteer individuals and groups from all breeds and types of horse activities, without bias. We are amateurs and professionals, horse hobbyist, commercial producers, local riding clubs, and larger corporations. The North Carolina Horse Council strives to maintain effective government relations by interacting with state leaders and our government representatives. We work closely with the N.C. Department of Agriculture, NC Farm Bureau and N.C. State University.
Goals and Objectives
- Develops and implement a comprehensive marketing and promotion program for the horse community.
- Expand and strengthen legislative presence.
- Promote the North Carolina Horse Council through communication with involvement of all primary stakeholders.
- Enhance and increase education programs.
- Improve the business and regulatory environment for the horse industry.
About Partner Organizations
The legislation that created the Complete the Trails program requires that funds be distributed by the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation to a nonprofit partner for each trail. To be the recognized partner, an organization must have a Memorandum of Understanding with the Division and an approved 3- to 5-year plan for deploying the funds to develop the state trail.
As part of the Complete the Trail Program, each state trail partner organization was required to submit a five-year plan, outlining priorities and goals until 2027 for their trail. Excerpts from the plan will be outlined below.
| Estimated cost for all EQST priority projects | n/a |
|---|---|
| Estimated cost for all EQST projects | n/a |
| CTP allocation for EQST | n/a |